Nothing Left to Lose
by Saphira101
Summary: One of the youngest of the Volturi asks the only human in their midst what she really wants.
1. Buona sera

Nothing Left to Lose

Gianna was working late that night. Now that her work had become somewhat of a habit and she usually spent her time sorting though the same paperwork and disabling curious investigators from gaining any information on her employers—a task which required her guaranteed success lest she have a death wish—she couldn't help but let her mind wander as her hands performed the same actions hour after hour. Yes, her life may be wasting away slowly, but did she really have a choice? Not really…

Ever since she had stumbled into the wrong alleyway, a curious tourist from the town of Positano, she had been a captive of this eerie place. She was forbidden to ever leave for the Volturi were always watching; waiting to make sure that she never exposed them to the rest pf humanity.

Yet, despite her utter fear of the powerful vampire coven, Gianna longed to be like them.

Various members of the Volturi "family" promised her eternal life one day if she stayed loyal to them. The trouble was no one ever specified how long. Sometimes, Gianna wondered if maybe it was all a bluff to see how long a silly human girl could be fooled.

But did she really have another choice other than to hope to gain some of the same power? After all, she'd never see her family again, she wasn't allowed to leave, she hadn't seen the sun directly (not through a window pane) in what seemed like years. She really had nothing left to lose…so, what was wrong with hoping?

_His_ voice. The voice of a little boy—well, not so little, really. Young, around 13 or so. She'd never asked his age. Well, the age he appeared, anyway.

"Buona sera," he greeted her, his subtle English accent faintly present in the words. His burgundy eyes—a bit darker than she usually saw them—held her gaze, not boring into hers but actually appearing genuinely pleasant.

She took a deep breath. "Buona sera," she smiled at him nervously. Her throat suddenly felt so dry. She swallowed quickly and accidentally dropped a folder she'd been holding. The papers fluttered all around her desk.

"Ti aiuto," he swiftly dropped to his knees and began scooping up the papers off the floor, "let me help."

Gianna's hands were still shaking, the reason for her previous mishap. Trying desperately to regain composure—it was just Alec, after all—she managed a quick word of thanks. He had them all stacked neatly back in the folder before she could sit upright in her chair again.

When she had righted herself, he wasted no time but took both her hands in his and gave a gentle tug. It felt like a child's tug, but Gianna knew that he could have flung her over her desk if he'd wanted to. Not that she hoped he would. She luckily hadn't yet experienced physical punishment from any of the Volturi, only warnings.

"Vieni con me," he said quietly, "I want to show you something."

Too wary to refuse, Gianna let him guide her towards the outside. As they drew closer, Gianna fleetingly wondered why he'd want to risk being seen, but then she decided it'd be less wise to question his motives.

Once outside in the humid night air, Gianna closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself, savoring the comfort of the moon's soft glow upon her face. It was less comforting tonight but still moonlight always managed to calm her in these sorts of moments. Alec had also conveniently stopped, his hand in hers.

"Walk with me, bella."

A bit disconcerted by his sudden affection, Gianna thought she'd speak up. "May I ask where you take me?"

"I thought that perhaps you might be hungry," he responded simply, "Many of us are at this time of night. You can't be expected to work, work, work day in and day out without a little leisure time now and then."

Gianna shuddered a bit but continued on with him. She expected it must look to others like an older sister taking an evening stroll with her younger brother.

After about a mile of walking, they came to a small restaurant. Alec made a suave show of ordering a glass of red wine for both of them.

"Per l'apparenza," he grinned at her after the waiter had left, "just for show."

Gianna smiled shyly in return.

Alec seemed surprisingly sincere and harmless tonight so Gianna decided to just enjoy her night out. After all, she wasn't sure the next time she would be given such a liberty.

Before long he had told her his life's story of how he had become one of the night walkers. He and his twin sister Jane, who frightened me only a bit more than Alec, had been victims of witch hunters in 16th century England. Aro was forced to rescue them from the stake while their mother screamed from the crowds. He and his brothers had had their eye on the twins for a while but had not expected to change them at such a young age. However, the burns were already so bad that Aro had no choice but to transform them that night. Gianna listened solemnly to the story. She'd been burned once by a candle flame as a child but she couldn't imagine having such searing pain all over her body. The thought of such torture coming to young children made her feel like weeping. Alec—how he reminded her of her own little brother back at her home by the sea. Another person who she'd probably never see again. Yes, vampires were cruel in their own right—but then again, so were humans. Men who hurl innocent children into the flames are just as much monsters as those who drink the life from them.

After she had finished her Torta della Nonna, a luxury which she hadn't had since before falling in with the Volturi, Gianna felt a little more at ease. The cake was so sweet and so warm that it made her feel safer somehow. The wine certainly helped, as well. Alec had insisted that she have another glass before he paid.

When a window opened on the second story of the restaurant and a young violinist began to play, Alec did something quite unexpected.

"Posso avere questa danza?" he asked politely, almost suave. "May I have this dance?"

Gianna licked her lips. She hadn't been asked to dance since her cousin's wedding, about 8 years earlier. That coupled with the strangely alluring combination of her native tongue and his own had her oddly stunned.

"S-sì," she slowly managed.

Alec smiled excitedly, his white teeth gleaming in the lamp that lit the patio. Despite the fact that her wine felt as if it was sloshing about in her belly, Gianna struggled to stand gracefully as he took her hands in his once again. She was the older woman here and she wouldn't forget that.

They started out with a slow dance, Gianna gently following the lead of her young partner as the night drew on. There were many other couples dancing, something which Gianna gladly noticed and thankfully she wasn't that much taller than Alec. He was about her height, in fact.

Thank you for accompanying me tonight," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts, 'you've no idea how utterly lonely it gets sometimes. I mean, I have Jane and all and the rest of the guard but they're awfully boring after a while. And Jane is well—my sister. I do find myself longing for the companionship of another sort sometimes. Of your sort." He glanced at her then through his eyelashes, the lamplight playing off his alabaster flesh. He was coming closer to her. Suddenly timid, she turned her face slightly to the side, enough to avoid his gaze but hopefully not enough to risk offending him.

"I am but curious. How old are you exactly?" she managed in as subtle a voice as possible.

"In earthly years, my sister and I have recently passed our 423rd birthday," he replied smoothly, "so we bear knowledge of someone who has lived life about four times more than yourself. My sister appears to be a 14-year-old child but any man who hears one word from her lips is instantly enlightened. I'm sure you've noticed that we have a sort of…aura about us."

"You all do," Gianna put in without thought, "all so beautiful, so full of perfection."

"Why, thank you," he said, "I could say the same about your language. I so love to speak it. After all these years, Jane and I still strive to get over our native accent."

"Oh, you speak it wonderfully," Gianna added again rather awkwardly, "you remind me of my younger brother, Ciro, when you speak it. He was always so sweet and polite, mostly with the women." She stopped. Was she honestly trying to give him any more ideas? Better to stay clear of any potential encouragement.

"How old are you?" Too late.

"I am 20 now," she replied, reluctantly truthful. It was so difficult to lie around them as well. One always felt so exposed beside someone so flawless and full of mystery!

"So in earthly years, you are six years my elder," he mused thoughtfully. "Yet in our years…" he leaned his head against her chest, one had slipping from her lower back to the side of her thigh, "and _accurate _time, I am old enough to be your grandfather many times over."

Gianna shut her eyes and swallowed noisily, wishing she could break their fluid movements to take this boy's hand off of her leg. Oh, why had she ever agreed to leave her desk? Then again, it wouldn't have made much difference anyway. They always got their way in the end. That was why she was still here—why she would remain here forever, most likely never free to decide for herself again.

"You know, I've been watching you for a while now," Alec continued against her ear. The music had picked up pace. Still, his graceful movements never failed to keep pace with the melody. "Aro has told me of tour longing to become one of us. He can see it. So much like a yearning to be rich or famous, only unlike those desires…it can never be undone. You'd be filled with unbearable regret if it wasn't what you really wanted in the end. We're impossible to kill, so suicide is not an option either. But, you seem like a smart girl—there was a light skip in the beat now and Alec spun her around effortlessly. "So, tell me, Gianna…" he drew her back to him and met her gaze, his eyes nearly all black now with just a hint of crimson at the centers. "Would you like eternal life? I could give it to you—right here-right now. I'd get you home safely; others would just suspect you to be an intoxicated maiden in the arms of her chivalrous escort. And believe me when I say—he dropped her low for the song's finale—that'd you'd be doing us both a favor." Suddenly, the darkness in his eyes had a new meaning. Not that she hadn't been aware of its general indication, but she had been much too flustered by all his flirtation and by the unexpected yet long-awaited outing to notice it before.

"I-I don't know," she stammered, "I'm frightened."

"well, let's look at it rationally," he said as he began swaying her to another slow song, "why would you want eternal life?"

"Well, it's a curse but it does give you power and all," she reasoned shakily, "but the pain—still, that's all that I fear really. I want more than anything else to have more say in where I can go and what can do and not live in dread all the time. So, other than the pain, I have no other fear."

"Hmm," Alec seemed to deliberate for a moment, "and what of any family or friends. Surely, you couldn't hope to see your brother or parents again without thirsting for their lives. Yet, it is the family which we miss most when we're taken against our will. Now that you have a choice, do you wish to rid yourself of any opportunity to see them again?"

"You know the answer o that," said Gianna startled at how defiant she suddenly sounded, "if I'd had any choice in this life, I would have gone long ago. I can't ever go home because I might tell someone about where you hide to await your prey."

"Sounds logical to me," Alec replied with a smile and once again rested his cheek against hers, "so what are you really saying here? What is your choice?"

"I have no real choice in anything anymore," Gianna insisted hating the sudden lump that had formed in her throat, 'just stop playing with me, Alec. Go on. Either way, I lose…"

"But that's just it, Gianna," said Alec softly into her ear, his great caressing her throat, "you have nothing more to lose."

The beautiful melody continued to play and people continued to dance and enjoy the romantic evening. Gianna let herself slip into a memory in which she and Ciro played happily on the beach as the sun set over the horizon. Indeed, she was holding hands with her brother as they floated together on the gentle waves of the sea—when Alec placed his lips upon her throat.


	2. Transformation

The transformation was unlike anything Alec had ever witnessed before. He'd never actually been present for a changing save for his own during which he'd been pretty unaware of anything but the fire searing through his veins.

After she'd passed out in his arms, Alec decided it would be wise to stop before he drained too much of her life. He then, guided her home with his arm supporting her shoulders, actually succeeding in keeping up the appearance that she was walking on her own. Once at home, Alec brought her into the empty antechamber and laid her on the old sofa which sat against the far wall by the window.

It wasn't long after that that Gianna came to just enough to feel the venom—_his _venom--coursing through her body, nearing her heart with every passing second. Just something about knowing that he'd made her this way, it was his curse that would give her what she'd always wanted, was amazingly thrilling. Alec found himself feeling emotions he'd never encountered before. After all, he'd never changed anyone before—killed them and drank from them, yes—but never bitten with the intention to empower another individual. This young woman was writhing before him, whimpering in agony, sometimes crying out…and it was all his doing. It made him feel oddly powerful, alone, and aroused all at the same time.

Slowly, he made his way over to her and took her hand, sitting down by her side and taking her head onto his lap.

"Tutto sta bene," he cooed gently, stroking her hair, "don't worry, love. I'm here. Alec's here. You're going to be strong, mia amore. Strong and brave and deadly—and so beautiful."

Just then, Gianna let out a shriek that startled even Alec, and he shifted just a bit. The poison would be reaching her heart about now. As if on cue, Gianna's eyes snapped open to reveal a bittersweet red color, the first sign of full transformation. Already the sides of her face were ceasing to sweat as much and Alec could feel the skin starting to grow cold beneath his fingers.

That was when the oddest thing happened. Gianna suddenly went quiet, all sobbing and whimpering gone. She then took one of Alec's hands with her own and drew it away from her cheek as she sat up smoothly.

Alec stared at his creation, disbelief apparent in his eyes. Then, realizing she was still holding his hand, Alec took advantage of the moment. Acting half on instinct and half on arrogance, he leaned in and kissed Gianna on the mouth.

Bad move.

Gianna slapped him with the unique strength of a newborn, sending Alec hurtling off the sofa to land on the hard wooden floor. He glanced back at her in astonishment, one hand on his right cheek.

Gianna only stared back with earnest in her bright eyes. "Che cosa mi hai fatto?"

What have you done to me? The words stung Alec and at the same time made him furious. Hadn't she said she'd wanted this? This life over anything else?

"I never had a choice. Not a choice in the world. But what do you care, anyway? No one ever cared about me! No one!"

"Gianna," Alec stood up and raised his voice so that he loomed over her, "you said yourself that you wanted this. Aro sees it in your thoughts all the time. 'With strength and power like theirs, I could make people notice me, like they rarely did in my old life. With beauty like theirs, I could dance with any man I wanted, something I could never have hoped to do before without being laughed at. Well, this is how I see it, Gianna. If people in your old life did indeed treat you so poorly, then perhaps you are better off here with us—with me. Now, however, you can be on our level, control as we do, feed as we do. But to me, you never needed this curse upon you to be beautiful—you are exquisite with or without it. Alive, you glowed and now…" his eyes scanned briefly over her form then back up to hold her gaze. "You shine. Either way, you are beautiful, but being one of us just—enhances the inner radiance."

"But I am so hungry," she exclaimed, "or thirsty—however you say it! I did wish to be a vampire more than staying with you and feeling always inferior and helpless, but please Alec, I beg you—do not let me hurt anyone!"

"But that's the fun of it, Gianna. Trying to suppress the hunger. You have to learn to do it by yourself eventually. Tourists visit quite frequently but not as often as you will prefer, I'm afraid. It is well known that we cannot venture out at any time and search for victims. In the meantime, I've been considering a few methods as to how we can distract you from your urges." He grinned at her, darkly but with an odd glint in his dark burgundy yes.

Then, he was on top of her. It would have struck Gianna as rather humorous in any other situation, albeit embarrassing. He was practically sitting on her lap. The comedy went out of it when he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. Without thinking, Gianna responded by tangling her hands in his dark hair.

But she'd never kissed anyone. Neither had he. They each knew this and they both couldn't care less. Gianna was content to grin and bare it if such actions would keep her from hurting as many innocent humans possible. That was of, course, as long as Alec kept it only at this level. She couldn't help but feel like a criminal if he were to initiate anything further. Even if he was over 400 years her elder—she just couldn't fathom it. She[d let him have his way—and hope to God that no one caught them, especially Jane—until she was able to think for herself without lunging for the nearest passerby outside the castle window.

2


	3. His Treasured One

A/N: This chapter is not Gianna/Alec, but it foreshadows for what is to come. I promise to have more G/A in the next chappy!

Jane sat at the piano bench in her chamber, working on one of her latest pieces. Her fingers worked over the keys in a sort of rhythmic flight, much too fast for any instructor to critique or even follow—not that she'd ever let anyone critique her, save for Aro. Jane was mostly self-taught and she'd been rapidly improving over the past centuries. After all, being shut in all day left one little to do besides study music, art, and literature. Throughout their many years at the castle, she and Alec had become conversant in several languages besides English and Italian, learned to play no fewer than five musical instruments, and read countless novels and accounts from the castle's vast library.

Such an opulent life did have its drawbacks, however. There were so few challenges—the twins never had to fight for their food, because it wandered so willingly into their home. Jane often found herself longing for the experience of actual hunting, tales of which her "fathers" often deplorably recounted. Still, something about the act of searching for victims seemed so much more fun than simply having them delivered. No matter—Alec and Jane had always been fond of that certain taste which the rush of fear and realization sent through the veins of the unfortunate travelers. Such a fear was present in humans everywhere no matter how you came across them. The notion that they were going to die a painful death and had no say whatsoever as to their fate always filled Jane with a feeling of extravagant superiority.

She was the treasured beauty of the household—her elders would bend to her every command not only fearing the strength of her gift but also simply unable to resist the innocent requests of a sweet little angel such as herself. Yes, she looked helpless and cute but in truth she was deadly. Many a time had she used her persuasive visage to attract the attention of sympathetic mothers and perverse men—to lure them home for supper. A beautiful child, forever young.

Alec, being a boy, was not quite as pampered as she—indeed, he refused to be treated with such care, insisting that his sister deserved the best and that he could take care of himself. Silly Alec, always trying to be so independent and gentlemanly—despite the fact that he too would never see adulthood.

Still, Jane often heard her brother complain of the same old company and how he longed to meet other people. He wanted to venture out of the castle and see what was out there, not just reel it in like a fish on a hook. Such desires usually confused Jane. No one could possibly exist who was as interesting, kind, or profound as the Volturi. No land with more splendor than that of Italy. She was perfectly content with her life—as Aro's little princess with no question. As Alec's angel with no competition. She dearly loved her new family, and yet it was Alec who had been by her side the whole time. In the womb, all throughout her first life and for so many decades afterwards. She couldn't imagine a life without his unquestioned devotion.

And although she was sure of her hold on him, she secretly hoped that he never did find anything else to treasure more than she. She was his sister, his twin, and they must never be separated. Not long after their transformation, Jane had vowed to mercilessly obliterate anything which threatened to come between them. Then again, if it was his choice—what could she do? But how silly to think such things. Alec would never find someone as important to him as she…

Smiling to herself, Jane continued to play, her fingers moving even faster than before.


	4. One in the same?

Gianna had to quit their little make-out session before long, lest she lose it completely and either attack Alec or do something even more dreadful. Her strength was overbearing and she still didn't understand why she'd even agreed to let Alec try and distract her like that.

And it wasn't just the thirst which bothered her—her senses were all so sharp. The feel of his lips on hers were so soft, their taste sweet with a slight salty taste, most likely the remnant of the last meal he'd taken. Gianna shuddered inwardly. How long could she wait before taking her first life? But anyway, it all seemed too easy. With such strength and speed and sense—there must be no challenge left in life once one became a vampire…

"What's the matter, bella?" Alec had asked after she had pulled away, breathless. "Are you frightened to let yourself feel?"

"Stai zitto," she whispered, "Shut up. You have no right to take advantage of me in such a way. I do not care that you are 400 some years old; you still look to me like a child and that I cannot cope with. This must end now."

"But do you really _want _it to end?" he inquired. "Or is it just the regulations of society which limit your judgment? Believe me when I say that I love you, Gianna. I have watched you grow up from a frightened, fourteen-year-old girl into the dark, exquisite beauty you are now. I am not your brother, Gianna. I may never pass this age in appearance but I have knowledge which even some adults lack when it comes to pleasing others. I will be honest and admit that I have not engaged in any such acts and I have not had the desire to—until now. Do not let my physical image inhibit your desires. I shall wait for you to become accustomed to your new nature and I will be by your side every moment until you need my assistance no more…but sooner or later, you're bound to get lonesome."

Realizing that he was still holding her hand, Gianna slid her fingers from his only to have him intertwine the fingers of his other hand in hers.

"Rest a bit, amore," he murmured quietly as he stood then bent to kiss her on the top of her head, "We should have a fresh feast in the morning." And then, he was gone. And she had never felt more alone.

Lying back slowly, Gianna closed her eyes. It was then that she remembered: no matter how tired you were, or how badly you wanted to forget your troubles and lose yourself to the sweet abyss of dreams—vampires couldn't sleep.

So, Gianna busied herself with pacing the room back and forth and trying to think of anything but the mortals who roamed the streets outside, of the little children with throats so soft…

How she just wanted to scream! She tried to cry and found that she had no tears. Something deep within her chest felt as if it was gnawing away at her insides, somewhat akin to how a stomach feels when it needs feeding only this aching had spread throughout her whole body. Alec had been right—without the distraction of erotic stimulation or some other satiation of a different urge, this hunger truly could drive one mad….

Alec ran a hand through his dark hair as he sauntered up the staircase to his chamber. Had he seriously just tried to seduce a woman? Yes, he had and he'd never felt better or more proud of himself.

Upon entering his room, Alec overheard his sister playing her piano in her chamber which was adjoined to his, and decided that he may as well pass the time by composing a few pieces on one of his own instruments.

Unlike Jane who preferred percussion instruments, Alec preferred stringed ones such as the violin and the cello. Caius said it was due to the fact that she was a girl and he a boy. Alec just happened to find the stringed instruments more challenging to tune and therefore, more fun to try and master.

Alec had been playing for only a few minutes when he heard the soft yet sure lilt of a voice combine with the music of his violin.

"It's not enough for you, is it?"

Gently placing down his violin and masking his anxiety behind the default look of serenity, Alec turned slightly in his position on the window seat.

"Hello, Jane." He greeted his sister with a courteous smile.

"Alec, don't you pull that with me!" Jane hissed angrily. "What on earth do you mean by changing that—that girl without my permission?"

"Well, excuse me," said Alec not bothering to hide his irritation, "I wasn't aware that it would vex you so—nor that I needed your permission to change whom I want. If you don't mind my asking, what business of yours is it anyway? I've never interfered in who you've taken wither by the throat or by your grasp of agony."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, _Alec_," Jane retorted, "I haven't fed to change, have I? Only to dine. What makes you think we need another member added to our family? That girl was fine as a desk clerk! Now she's down there in the antechamber walking around in circles like a drunkard! Did she even want this? Or did you just decide it'd be fun to see what came of it?"

Now, it was Alec's turn to get pissed. "Jane, it was unquestionably what she wanted and quite frankly, I'm getting fed up with your telling me what to do. You're always bossing around everyone in the castle and it's high time someone else got what they want for a change. I love you, Jane, and I always will, but if we're to remain sane then we've got to take some risks. Maybe Aro and the others won't like it, but I've changed Gianna and I'm going to look after her from now on."

"But, we-don't-need-her." Jane said in a mockingly clear tone.

Alec was beginning to see where this was going. "I'm sorry if it makes you jealous, Jane, but you have to be able to distinguish between sibling love and romantic love. Both can exist together. I can love Gianna and still love you, too."

"Me? Jealous of that _lupa_?" Jane was livid. She only used Italian when she really wanted to insult someone or make them mad. And it worked.

"Don't you ever talk about Gianna like that!" Alec hissed at his twin sister, advancing towards her so that she took an involuntary step back. "She's been through so much and she's one of the most respectable women I've known. The other would be you, only right now I'm not so sure I'd describe you as such. Gianna is amazing and beautiful and—she just makes me feel more than I ever have before. Don't you want me to be happy, Jane? Don't you care for anyone but yourself? Then again, I suppose it's rather pointless to ask that of someone who actually enjoys to see her victims writhing in agony before she goes for the kill."

Alec was a bit surprised when Jane didn't snap back as she usually did when they argued. Instead, her face took on a look of resignation as she averted her eyes from his and sighed deeply.

"I knew it wasn't enough," she muttered, "I knew that in time, you'd grow weary of me as your only female companion. Having a sister is never enough for man—he needs a lover, as well. I'm perfectly content with you, Alec. I would give my life for you…"

"Now wait just a minute," Alec cut in, "I think we both know that nothing in this world could make you do that. Your sense of self-preservation is much too strong. But you know that I would give my life for you. I've actually seen fit to assure you of this fact many times, even in the absence of a potential threat. So, don't give me that, Jane. Not now."

But Jane wasn't listening. "What's the matter, Alec? Am I not enough for you, brother?" With an even more innocent light to her eyes, Jane glanced up at her brother and swayed towards him in an almost seductive manner which frightened Alec immensely.

"Jane, this stops now," he whispered as he backed up a bit, now realizing how Gianna must have felt when he'd practically forced his affections upon her. "I still love you. But I love Gianna, as well. And nothing is going to change my mind." With that, he turned to go.

"How interesting," Jane called from behind once he'd reached the doorway, "My name and her name. So alike. Gianna is the Italian version of Jane, you know. How funny…"

Alec, although struck by the coincidence, didn't really know where his sister was coming from and didn't really wish to find out. With a deep breath, Alec unclenched his fists which he hadn't even realized had been clenched in the first place and strode out of the room to rejoin Gianna down in the antechamber.


	5. No Turning Back

Gianna could hardly stand to live with herself after her first feeding.

Everyone had been there at the time—Aro, Marcus, Caius, Felix, Demetri, Alec, Jane (Jane standing over next to Aro rather than her brother which surprised Gianna a bit), even Heidi who usually preferred to hunt for her meals. Alec had brought Gianna to show Aro that she was now one of them the evening before. To her relief, Aro had been rather enthusiastic, saying that she could still manage visitor affairs and all once she grew accustomed to her new lifestyle, but he also seemed hopeful that she may exhibit a power of her own.

Right now, Gianna didn't care about being powerful or magical or anything. She simply couldn't face anyone after her first meal—the way it'd been so easy to sink her teeth into the first victim's neck; she'd been a young woman, a bit older than Gianna had been when she'd been changed. The warm blood had filled her with warmth and what made it most terrifying was that she'd realized then that she wouldn't be able to go for long without renewing this warmth. She'd heard of that Carlisle—a vampire who'd managed to resist human blood. Yet, Gianna was certain that now that she'd tasted human blood, there was no turning away. And it tore her apart inside. Once her thirst was quenched and she looked down at the drained corpse before her—so filed with life and fear just moments before—her conscience returned and she'd fled the antechamber, flying up the stairs at a speed that normal would have startled her and took refuge in an upstairs office.

Of course, Alec was up there in the blink of an eye to try and comfort her but she just cried into his chest, tearless sobs. A part of her was thankful to him for being there with her while another part just wanted to shout at him to leave her alone. He had done this to her, but it wasn't like she'd said no when he'd asked her. After all, no one could deny Aro's insight into her desires. Deep down, she had always wanted this power but now that she had it, it seemed to be eating away at her will and her spirit. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to cry herself to sleep and despite her newfound strength, she hadn't the ability to do either.

Albeit reluctantly, Alec promised Gianna that he wouldn't encourage her to eat if she didn't feel like it. It saddened him to see her this way after he'd given her such a nice gift. He cared for her so and wished to see her happy or at least content again.

The following dawn, he returned to his chamber after a walk in the garden and decided to try and cheer up Gianna. She'd agreed to share his chamber with him as far as resting but hadn't failed to voice that she was glad they didn't need a bed to sleep. "It would complicate things," she had told him, always modest.

He slowly approached the window seat so as not to frighten her and lay his hand gently on her shoulder. She turned to him and the look in her eyes filled him with a new sorrow as his gaze was drawn to the dozens of rainbow prisms which her left cheek and shoulder threw off when reflected in the morning sunlight.

"I am so sorry, my love," he said, sincere rather than seductive this time, "I never meant to hurt you."

Then to his surprise, Gianna covered his hand with her own, just as she'd done the night he'd changed her. "Do not blame yourself, "she whispered, "This was my choice. You only gave me what I asked for. As you said, it would have come to this, anyway. It is just the killing, it is so easy—how do you bear it? The guilt of destroying these innocent lives?"

"We grow accustomed, _amore_," Alec assured her with a hint of something that sounded like resignation in his young voice, "It was not so difficult for Jane and me, as humans had attempted to kill us. They had killed our mother after our murder failed, so we hadn't much remorse when feeding."

Gianna glanced again out at the window and Alec gently pulled her towards him. "Come, I want to show you something. Something special."

Gianna stood up slowly and followed him numbly, eyes on the ground. She was vaguely aware of how warm his hand now felt, as opposed to the ice she'd felt when he'd taken her hand that fateful night at her desk. Se must have been freezing…

Alec led her down the stairs, silent the entire way. She appreciated how he let her have her silence. The walk down to the garden was pretty uneventful save for when they passed by Felix who was doing something in the doorway of the downstairs parlor. When her gaze caught his, he winked at her and grinned slyly and she immediately looked away and closed her fingers more tightly around Alec's. For perhaps the first time, Gianna was thankful for the young boy who insisted on remaining by her side.

The first thing she noticed when they stepped outside was all the unique sounds: the birds twittering, the squirrels in the trees and the mice in the underbrush as they scurried along with the lizards. Somewhere, she could even hear the steady hoof beats of a horse as it carried its rider across one of the vast fields of the Volterran countryside. She was so aware of everything. The sun was brighter than usual and felt good on her skin after having been inside for over two days. The second thing she realized was how every individual creature and plant seemed to have its own unique smell. With a slight pang, she realized she could smell with great clarity the sweet scent pf the horse and its rider, of the rabbits in the garden, even of the tiny lizards in their small dwellings within the crevices of the stone wall around the garden…

"Look, _carina_," Alec called, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced up to see her escort standing several yards away, out from under the gentle shade of the tree under which she stood. His full exposure to the sunlight was utterly breathtaking—thousands of tiny diamonds seemed to glitter on the surface of his skin. She'd known of the reason why vampires couldn't walk in the sunlight lest their true nature be revealed, but she'd never imagined how that nature might look.

How innocent Alec appeared as he stood grinning at her. He wasn't seductive or scheming. For once, he just looked like a boy who hadn't yet entered high school. He looked like a lovely young angel—even when he smiled wider and she could see his teeth, white and gleaming. Fleetingly, Gianna wondered how often he grinned like this when he and his sister were human and not being hunted by spiteful humans. Oh, how could something so beautiful be so evil and capable of so much damage?

Just then, Alec ran over to her. He was laughing, the sound that of an excited schoolboy as he grasped her hand and pulled her out into the sunlight. Having expected the full morning to be somewhat of an onslaught, Gianna was surprised to find that the sunlight only filled her with joy and a newfound excitement.

Somewhere between giggling and sobbing at the way her hands and arms sparkled, she clutched his hands tighter and let him spin her around. Just now, Gianna didn't care that she would spend the rest of eternity as a hideous demon, never able to leave the castle and roam the streets save for the night time. All she knew at that moment was the miraculous sunlight and how the boy who now held her in his arms would stand by her no matter what. She wasn't alone after all. Whatever strife she had to endure in this new life, he'd be by her side the whole time. That much she could count on.

Alec insisted that Gianna rest on the sofa in his room while he composed pieces for her on is violin. She found that it was almost like sleeping when she just closed her eyes and le her mind glide far away as she listened to her little companion create works of art just for her. She'd never received such a gift from anyone. After that, he read to her—novels in Italian, English poetry, even some French ballads, and it Gianna didn't mind that she couldn't understand much of it. She was just so thankful to him for caring so much for her. It was difficult to believe that less than week ago, she'd just grouped him together with the other members of the Volturi family and their guard—ruthless killers. Now she was one of them, and she'd have to cope…and maybe she could, in time.

That evening, as Alec made his way back to Gianna after his supper, Jane caught him by the stairs.

"Oh, so you're speaking to me now?" Alec inquired sarcastically.

"Yes, of course," said Jane still with that hint of innocence which annoyed Alec immensely, "I just wanted to say I was sorry. But I won't ever be all right with this, Alec. I don't believe you can love us both, not equally. The lover always gets more attention than the sibling, you know that. It's a fact."

"Look, Jane, I don't have time for this," Alec cut in, "you can either deal with it or go on ignoring us. You get enough attention as it is, so I don't rightly understand what your issue is."

"My _issue_," answered Jane curtly, "is that I would never put anyone before you and it bothers me that you would. I made up my mind long ago that I wouldn't let anything come between us. And I faintly remember you saying the same, Alec. As we held each other that night before the burning—we knew that our lives were going to end and we promised each other that we'd stay together in life or death. I, for one, took that to mean that we wouldn't need romance; our love alone was strong enough."

Alec just glared.

"So, I'll make you a deal," Jane continued, "I'll leave you two to your affairs, but if she ever insults me or challenges your affection for me in any way, don't think for a moment that I won't retaliate simply because it'd hurt you. After all, what's to stop me from having a little fun with your girl? I haven't hesitated with anyone else in the castle, not even Aro…"

A sweet little smile dimpled Jane's porcelain face as she leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. Then, she turned and skipped back the way she'd come, her joyful laughter echoing slightly off the stone walls of the hallway.


End file.
